Lights
by lovedance359
Summary: To say that David loved Snow White would be an understatement.


_lights will guide you home_

_and ignite your bones _

_and I will try to fix you _

_~Coldplay_

To say that David loved Snow White would be an understatement.

So when he had knelt down beside her coffin and kissed her goodbye, only to watch her eyes flutter open and her chest rise and fall as she breathed in the air surrounding them, he had felt a joy take over him more powerful than anything he had ever felt.

She was his everything- when she smiled, the room got brighter and he felt warm inside. Her smile was the most beautiful, breathtaking thing he had ever laid his eyes on. It lit up her face, making him notice all of the tiny details one could easily overlook- her bright green eyes, her halo of thick, dark hair that tumbled down her back, her nearly invisible freckles that he could only see when they were close enough that their noses touched. When she laughed, it was the sweetest music he had ever had the privilege of hearing, an indescribable sound, like the wind on a sunny day. And when she kissed him- god, when she _kissed_ him- he felt complete. Whole. As if, for his entire life, something had been missing, and he had not known it until she had stumbled into his life and that space was filled.

Of course, they still had the Evil Queen's threat looming over their heads- ever since their wedding, not a day had gone by that he didn't worry about what she had said. _I will destroy your happiness… if it is the last thing I do._ He never voiced his fears aloud, but what she had said terrified him. Snow had told him of her power; he had witnessed it himself. And if he knew one thing about her, it was that her vengeance drove her to do unspeakable things. If she swore that she would destroy their happiness, he knew she would eventually find a way.

Still, Snow managed to stay optimistic. They spent their free time during the day in the flower garden, her head in his lap as he fiddled with her hair, or roaming about the castle, discussing things of little consequence, just enjoying the other's company. When the threat was brought up during a council meeting, Snow convinced everyone that the odds would work out in their favor. "Good always wins," she would remind everyone, giving a hopeful smile and grabbing his hand. "We all know it."

The way she could turn any bad day into a terrific one was a constant mystery to him. When she walked into the room, her aura would just seem to seep into his soul and make everything brighter, better. When she told him she loved him, it put the biggest smile on his face and made his heart swell with happiness.

She was his and he was hers, irrevocably and undoubtedly.

And so they spent their days in blissful paradise, reveling in each other's presence and ruling side by side.

Their nights were a different story.

The first nightmare had been the worst, because neither of them had known what was happening. All he knew was that she woke up screaming, sobbing about a room filled with fire. He had been awake already, pacing on the balcony as the Evil Queen's words ran through his head again and again, when he heard Snow cry out from inside. He had run over to her to find her hand frantically searching the bed for him, tears streaming down her cheeks. She gripped his shirt forcefully, her forehead leaning on hers as she caught her breath. He didn't say anything- there was nothing to say. On her own, she began to tell him about her dream- the room of fire, being trapped, no windows or doors, being all alone.

To say that seeing her in such a vulnerable state hurt him would be a lie. It was downright _agonizing_, to see her in so much pain. She had lost so many people- her mother, her father, and even Regina in a sense- and to be trapped all alone was sure to bring out those parts of her that she tried so hard to keep buried- her fear of being alone, of being trapped with no way to reach the ones she loved.

It wasn't something he could fight- it was nothing physical. He knew how to wield a sword, how to keep things he could touch away from his wife. He had no idea how to save her from something that existed solely in her mind. It frustrated him, seeing her in pain and him being powerless against it. He could calm her down eventually, sure, but it wasn't enough. He didn't want to see his Snow in so much pain in the first place.

He had gone to Rumpelstiltskin in his cell and begged the monster to tell him what had caused his wife's nightmares, and more importantly, how to stop them. The deal was simple- in exchange for the information, he was to provide the beast with a blanket. "It's cold down here," the imp insisted. It was a miniscule price to pay.

"Snow White's suffering is caused by the curse the Queen put her under."

"The Sleeping Curse," David breathed.

"The very same. While she was under this curse, she was trapped in a room of fire. Now that she has been awoken with true love's kiss, whenever she sleeps, her mind goes back to that place."

"What can I do to stop it?" He asked. Rumpelstiltskin let out a laugh- a maniacal, insane laugh, one that chilled him to the bone.

"There's nothing you can do. The dreams will fade on their own in time, but there's nothing you can do to stop them while they last."

He slammed his hands against the bars. "There must be something I can do to ease her pain!"

"Well, there is one thing you can do, dearie." The beast crept up to the prison bars so that his face was framed between them, his eyes bulging. " A candle."

"A candle?"

"Yes. Light one, and the smoke will calm her down."

David dropped his hands. "A candle. That's all."

"Yes, yes, a candle! You're welcome. Goodbye."

The next time that Snow woke up screaming, David struck a match, and lit a candle. It worked like magic- in no time she was breathing normally, the tears on her cheeks dry. He held her hand as she fell asleep, kissing her forehead before letting himself fall asleep, one arm wrapped protectively around her.

If there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that he never wanted to see Snow like that again. He wanted her to be happy- after all she had been through, she deserved that much. And so every time she would wake up, her reactions becoming less hysterical each time but sill somewhat frenzied, he would light a candle and watch it lull her back to sleep. The tiny flicker of light broke through the darkness and guided her towards calm like a beacon of light- of hope, of love. He would protect her from the terrors that plagued her dreams.

She lit up his days. He would guard her nights.


End file.
